


Soulmates Aren't Wrapped in Bows

by Almost_Angel



Category: Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: A little bit of violence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Getting Together, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, slower burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-02
Updated: 2016-07-04
Packaged: 2018-06-05 20:25:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6722068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Almost_Angel/pseuds/Almost_Angel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Soulmate au, where there is no evil Valentine, but other than that, everything is basically the same</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Pandemonium

**Author's Note:**

> Thought I would try my hand at a malec fic since I feel like there are not nearly enough. This will probably update once a week, but I thought I would upload the first chapter, and see what the general reaction to it was. Let me know what you think, enjoy!

It had become Alec’s understanding maybe days after Izzy was born that everything was her fault. When Alec was six and Izzy had just turned five, Izzy somehow managed to convince Alec to steal their mother’s makeup so she could give him a makeover. Alec was relenting when it came to his little sister so he did it. 

It ended with Alec finding out he was allergic to something in the lipstick. His lips and cheeks were enflamed and puffy for days. Not to mention the fact that the makeup got everywhere and their mom yelled at them in front of the whole institute.

His dad still laughed about it, and retold it at least three times a year. Alec thought this was just one of the examples of why he questioned nearly every one of Izzy’s decisions. 

“Why do you need to pick out my outfit for this again?” Alec stood with his arms across his chest, eyebrow raised, while Izzy went through his wardrobe. They had gotten the alert for a rogue vampire about ten minutes ago from one of the higher ups. The location of the vampire was at a club called ‘Pandemonium.’

Alec had been at a club one time. The beat of the music rattling his body and the people brushing against him constantly had been more irritating than fun. The only way he had survived that night was by staying in the corner, and drinking his way through it. 

Izzy turned to look him, wolfish grin on her face. She threw him a gray t-shirt. “Because,” She grabbed his tightest jeans out of his closet and tossed those at him as well. He caught it with a pained grimace on his face. “You wouldn’t have a clue about what to wear at a club without me.” 

“You know this is a mission, right?” The only good thing about tonight would be dragging the vampire to the clave and hopefully getting a few good hits in. 

"That doesn’t mean we can’t have fun big brother. You could use some of that.” Izzy brushed her hair over so it swept down her back and Alec made a soft noise when he saw the script along her shoulder.

Another reason Izzy was trying to get him out so much. Soulmates. He tried not to think about them or more accurately his own soulmate. 

You found out who your soulmate was because everybody had a mark somewhere on their bodies. Normally it would be something important your soulmate would say to you. 

He was familiar with the messy scrawl on Izzy’s shoulder. The words were messy but clear enough to read: _A vampire and a shadowhunter in love, your parents won’t be happy about that one._ Maybe that was why his mom always had such low expectations of her. He knew it was why Izzy was always eager to be rebellious.

“I get enough fun, thanks.” He told her sarcastically, making her grin at him. “Now get out, I have to change, and I’m guessing so do you.” 

Izzy looked down at her outfit. “You’re right; more skin exposure tonight will probably help.” Alec rolled his eyes. His sister loved to serve as a distraction and it was a vampire tonight. He could only hope it wasn’t her vampire.

Alec grabbed the hem of his shirt, and quickly changed. He managed to only just catch sight of the handwriting that stretched along his collarbone. No time to worry about soulmates right now. 

Jace was waiting for him when he walked out of his room. He only peered questioningly at Alec’s outfit, but shut his mouth when Alec gave him a sharp glare. Of course Izzy hadn’t bothered to try to change what Jace was wearing. 

“Are you bringing your bow?” Jace questioned once they had gotten to the center on the institute.

“Yeah, you’ll probably be able to sneak your seraph blade at the vampire quicker, but I figure if we corner it I can use the bow.” Alec walked over to where Izzy was waiting for them. She was wearing a tighter navy blue dress with her whip wrapped around her wrist. Part of her soul mark was on display under the band of her dress. 

“Well c’mon boys, we don’t have all night.” Izzy and Jace shared a smirk while Alec just groaned. This was going to be a long night. 

\-----

When they got to the entrance of the club, Alec could already feel the music beating against his ribs. His whole body vibrated with it and it put him on edge. A few people were at the entrance, talking in hushed whispers, or just waiting to go inside. Pandemonium was a club that usually catered to all different kinds, not that the mundanes knew that.

Just from this spot, Alec could see a werewolf and a fae. The fae was pale with a blue hue to his skin. Alec saw the big block letters on the small of his back where his shirt rode up. The werewolf had small letters in another language on his throat. Everyone, including downworlders, had a soul mark. It was usually the most important thing your soulmate would ever say to you. 

Alec used to find the concept sort of romantic. He would get books just to learn about them and then ask his parents about the story of their own soulmarks. 

Then when he was around twelve, he watched as his dad broke the news to a shadowhunter named Margaret that her soulmate had died. She made these awful gasping sounds, and her knees buckled. The most pained cry Alec had ever heard escaped her. He watched helplessly as she clutched at her soulmark, whispering ‘no, no, no’ over and over again. The black faded to a sickly gray within moments. Gray meant death and no soulmate could escape that. 

“Alec?” 

Alec jerked slightly and looked at Izzy, who was gesturing for them to enter the club. Right, the mission. 

Jace gave him a questioning look. His parabati always knew when something was wrong. He waved his concern off. “Keep your eyes open, we don’t want to miss him. He could be trying to feed.”

Alec wandered through the club, eyes skimming across the people. He caught sight of a few downworlders here and there, but no vampires. 

“Hey watch it!” 

Alec glanced over his shoulder, brow furrowing. What the hell, what now? Jace had bumped into a girl with red hair who was looking downright pissed right now. Jace stared at her in confusion. “You can see me?” He shrugged at Alec and waved at him to keep going. 

Alec just followed his orders. He really didn’t have time to worry about a girl who had the sight right now. Jace could take care of that one.

He and Izzy weaved their way through the club but so far, no vampire. “He’s hiding pretty well.” Alec hissed. When he got no response, he twisted around. Damn it Izzy. She was at the bar, and looked like she was ordering drinks. Hopefully she was at least getting information from the fae who was serving those drinks. 

Alec wiped at the sweat on his forehead. The heat of the club was getting intense now. A soft silky voice was leaving the speakers and people were slowing down to lazily grind against each other. That didn’t make it any less loud. 

Alec paused when he felt someone’s eyes burning into his back. He froze in the middle of the dance floor, ignoring the hands that brushed against his stomach and hips, begging for a dance. He subtly peered around the room, and then found the source of the staring. 

Cat eyes blinked at him from his spot at the black leather couch in the corner. Alec narrowed his own eyes. A warlock. Alec knew objectively that a warlock was a part-time owner of Pandemonium, but he hadn’t really thought of running into that warlock. 

The warlock was sitting amongst several other patrons. They were all talking amongst themselves, but the warlock was just tilting his head at Alec.

In a—objective way, the warlock was gorgeous. From here, Alec could see the black liner that was smeared around his cat eyes and the eyeshadow that was applied carefully to his lids. His skin looked smooth, and no sign of a soulmark could be seen. His hair was black and dyed with purple streaks. It was the movement of the warlock’s hand from his knee to his chin that stopped his staring.

When Alec skimmed that area again, the warlock was still watching him. It wasn’t even a threatening gaze, more curious if anything. The look went from curious to sensual in the blink of an eye. 

Alec broke the staring contest, cheeks flushing. The warlock had no right to look like—that. He glimpsed at the couch again, confused when he saw the warlock was nowhere to be found. 

A touch to his arm startled him, but when he turned around ready to fight, he saw it was only Izzy with Jace right behind her. “Alec, we found him.” Izzy whispered, and then he was being dragged off to the back of the club, thoughts of the warlock disappearing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave kudos or comments to share your thoughts :)


	2. Dream or Nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all of those that commented, left kudos, and bookmarked! Hope you like the next chapter just as much, enjoy!

Alec gasped in surprise. He felt the sharp hit to his shoulder knock him straight to the floor. The vampire snarled above him, fangs prodding out from its upper lip. 

Blood soaked the inside of its mouth, and its eyes were wide, crazed. It made Alec shiver. Despite the stench of blood, the vampire’s eyes appeared cold and soulless. 

The negative thing about his bow was that it couldn’t do close range like this. He grabbed one of his arrows and scrambled backwards. It was in cases like this that his agility rune was helpful. 

With a quick jump forward, Alec stabbed the arrow into the vampire’s foot. The vampire grimaced in pain, still straining to where Alec was.

“If you would just come with us quietly to the Clave, you wouldn’t risk further punishment.” Izzy told the vampire. Her eyes trailed thoughtfully over its torso. 

The vampire smirked meanly at her. “I would rather risk anything than go to the Clave. It is as if you Shadowhunters think you are the superior race.”

“We do not think that.” Izzy immediately protested. She grew quiet at the stern look from Jace.

Alec kept his bow trained at the vampire, but his eyes locked on the words wrapped around the vampire’s throat. _Please, don’t hurt me._

Alec notched his bow. This was the worst soulmark he had ever seen. “Jace, we need to get him to the institute.” It made his stomach turn a little when he saw the words of the vampire’s soulmark written in gray. 

It looked like the vampire had already killed after all. “His soulmark is gray.” Alec added, eyes narrowing. “We need to find who his soulmate is. I’m guessing it’s more proof that the vampire has killed.”

The vampire hissed at his words, and almost leapt at Alec again. Izzy was quick though. She snapped her whip at the vampire and the whip coiled around its legs. The vampire fell forward will a soft grunt. It desperately tried to claw its way up but Jace slammed the end of his seraph blade into its head until it was out cold. 

“We should probably take him quickly; I don’t know how long he’ll be out.” Jace patted down the vampire and discarded any of his weapons. 

“Do you have your matches Alec?” Izzy bent down and replaced her whip with rope soaked in holy water. It burned for just a moment before stopping. 

Alec felt sick at the smell, but nodded. “If he wakes up, it won’t be for long.” 

Jace moved the vampire so an arm slung across his shoulders. Hopefully it would give the appearance of someone helping a drunken friend. 

Izzy led the way out, waving at the bartender with a flirtatious grin. Alec rolled his eyes, focusing on the idea of finally getting home and to his bed. 

Before they left the club, he felt a swooping in his stomach and looked back. The warlock who had been looking at Alec earlier openly smiled at him now. He raised his drink towards Alec before taking a long sip from the glass. 

Alec watched, entranced, as the warlock’s throat worked around his drink. A blush then curved up Alec’s throat and onto his cheeks.

What was he doing? He turned around and left the heat of the club. Izzy raised an eyebrow in question, but he ignored her. He only wished he could ignore the way his heartbeat echoed in his body. 

\-----

Soulmates have been around since the beginning of the angels. Nobody is really sure how they appeared, but over time, words began to appear on people’s skin, mundanes included. The words were one of the most important things a soulmate would ever say to you. 

There were only two colors a soulmark could be. It could be black or gray. Black meant your soulmate was alive and well. Gray was for when they had died. People whose soulmates had yet to be born kept their blank skin until the day they had been. 

The saddest thing was when people were born with gray soulmarks. Words you would never hear your soulmate say because they had already passed.

For some people, the soulmark was the first thing their soulmate ever said to them. Alec thought that would probably be the most unhelpful soulmark to have. How could you find your soulmate when the words on your skin were _how are you today?_ Or even _Hey._

A lot of soulmarks were _I love you._ For others, you could know your soulmate for years before hearing them say the words on your skin.

Alec had asked his parents a long time ago about their own soulmate story. It went something like this. Maryse and Robert had known each other for years. They had grown up together in Idris. They weren’t exactly friends, but often worked together when they went out on missions for the Clave. 

Maryse and Robert had been in the middle of a battle with a demon. According to Maryse, When Robert was hurt in the fight; Mayrse had said the words which curved up the middle of Robert’s stomach. _You better not die you bastard, you mean too much to me for that._

Robert remained in the infirmary for a couple of days, Maryse by his side for every second. Even though she had not known he was her soulmate at the time, she just knew she couldn’t bear to watch him die. 

When Robert had woken up, he squeezed her hand. Then he spoke the words that were on Maryse’s hip. _So you actually do care._

Alec walked to his room and immediately went to lie down on his bed. His room was pretty simple with a wardrobe, desk, and of course his bed. The only real color in the room was the purple sheets Izzy had insisted on.

His whole body melted into the mattress and Alec groaned out a satisfied sigh. Sitting up for a moment, Alec peeled his shirt from his body and threw it to the side. Alec’s back was covered in black and blue bruising from when he had been slammed to the floor by the vampire.

“Fuck,” Prodding at the wound had probably not been the best idea. It could be fixed tomorrow. Right now, Alec just wanted to go to sleep and for once try to get some rest. 

\-----

_“Alec,” Lips brushed against Alec’s ear. A body slinked warmly along his, and fingers curled around his shoulders. He arched lightly into the touch, wondering vaguely who would be in his bed. “Alec, let me touch you.”_

_Alec opened his eyes slowly, letting out a soft gasp when he saw it was the warlock from Pandemonium. “Ho-” A sound tore from his mouth when the warlock latched onto his neck, sucking at the skin there._

_At first the warlock nipped lightly at the spot, but a bite had him hissing. Alec wanted to simultaneously get farther but closer to the lips of the warlock._

_The warlock smiled at him, cat’s eyes gleaming. He leaned down and hovered over the shadowhunter for a moment, lips brushing teasingly against Alec’s. Their noses brushed together softly until the warlock tilted his head and suddenly Alec was being kissed._

_His lips were surprisingly soft against Alec’s. Alec tried to lean forward but the warlock drew away. The noise of protest that came from the shadowhunter was gently hushed._

_The kisses remained soft, chaste. It was the warm brushing of lips against one another. At one point, the warlock nipped at Alec’s bottom lip and then soothed it with a brush of his tongue. It had Alec moaning. He could feel arousal curling in his stomach._

_“Alec,” The warlock breathed as if in worship. He dipped down, mouth opening against Alec’s. The kiss deepened, and Alec panted. He was hardening quickly, and felt the warlock hardening in response._

_Alec’s cock brushed against the warlock’s hip and suddenly he was grinding against him desperately. The heat was building in his navel and his cock jutted up, leaking precum on his stomach._

_“Alec, I want to touch you.” A hand circled loosely around him and he thrust into it._

_“Please, please,” Alec cried softly. The warlock’s eyes glowed. He was staring as if he wanted to consume Alec. The scary thing was, Alec didn’t think he would mind that._

_“I want you. Come for me darling.” The warlock twisted his hand slightly, jerking Alec off harder. When his hand glowed blue with magic, Alec lost it._

_He bit his lip hard and arched. The warlock pumped him through his orgasm, then licked the cum delicately from his fingers. It nearly killed Alec when he groaned in enjoyment.  
_

_Alec wanted—he wanted..._

\-----

Alec woke up panting. He looked down at his pants, and grimaced at the sticky mess. He hadn’t done this since—shit, since he was a teenager. 

He laid back down on the bed, eyes wide. Who the actual fuck was this warlock, and why was he causing Alec to feel like this? 

\-----

Alec knew walking into the training room was a mistake the second he saw Izzy. She gaped at him openly, pausing in her training with the seraph blade. 

“What the hell happened to you?” She asked, touching the skin under her own eyes. Alec scowled at her. After his—dream last night, he had hesitated to fall asleep again. “You should let me use some concealer on that. You know everybody is going to bother you about it the rest of the day.”

“Let them. We helped to get them a vampire last night, so I’ll just remind them of that.” Alec sat down, and sighed, closing his eyes for a moment.

“Maybe you should get some sleep.” Izzy sat next to him. Alec opened his eyes, and immediately shook his head. 

“No I’ll just dream about--” Alec bit down hard on his bottom lip, but it was already too late. Izzy grinned widely. The red lipstick only helped to make her look more blood-thirsty. Maybe a vampire as her soulmate fit perfectly well.

“You dreamed about someone?” Izzy leaned closer, eyes growing serious. “You can tell me big brother. I swear I won’t tell anyone.” She mimed zipping her lips with her fingers, then ‘threw’ away the key. Alec rolled his eyes. 

Alec hesitated, thinking about it. Izzy probably wouldn’t tell anyone, but she did have a way of getting involved and fucking everything up. Alec shrugged. He would never see the warlock again.

“There was this--” Alec paused. Izzy knew he was gay, but that didn’t mean he talked about it with her. “There was this guy last night.” He admitted.

Izzy smiled, “What did he look like?”

“I mean how anyone at Pandemonium would look I guess.” Alec stated, and then shook his head. “No he was different, almost exotic. I don’t even know how. He was staring right at me Izzy.” 

Izzy looked pleased at this new development. “So he was interested then?”

“Maybe, he could just be a flirt.” Alec didn’t want to get up his hopes about anything. Even knowing he wouldn’t see the warlock ever again, he couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if he had talked to him. 

“I doubt it. With your looks, you could get anyone. You are related to me after all.” Izzy laughed, especially when Alec pushed her lightly with a frown. “So he is a mundane then? That does get a little complicated.”

Alec shook his head. “No, he’s a downworlder actually. A warlock.” 

Izzy’s head shot up and she stared him. “What did he look like?”

“It was pretty dark, but there was a lot of jewelry I think, and makeup around his eyes. He had cat’s eyes.” Alec tried to recall the details, but Izzy was already gasping in surprise.

“Alec I know who that is.” Izzy’s eyes were wide in excited disbelief. Meanwhile Alec’s heart was threatening to jump up into his throat.

“Well, who is it then?” Alec finally managed to speak, trying to swallow down his initial surprise

Izzy appeared to be amused now and her lips quirked into a smirk. “It’s the High Warlock of Brooklyn, Magnus Bane.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come hang out with me on [Tumblr](http://waralec.tumblr.com/)


	3. Can I Get You a Drink?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took so long. School got crazy but I'll be on Summer Break in a week. Expect updates every Sunday from now on if everything goes as planned. Also thank you to my beta [thetalesofofandromeda](http://thetalesofandromeda.tumblr.com/). She was very patient with me and helped me edit. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

Magnus Bane. Magnus fucking Bane. Alec rolled the name in his mind along with several other curses. Out of all the people that could have caught his eye, it had to be the High Warlock of Brooklyn.

Alec recalled sitting there in stunned silence, not sure how to respond to Izzy’s words.

It was a bit of an understatement to say that Magnus had a reputation among the downworlders and shadowhunters. He constantly partied, slept around, and only helped with a situation if he was in a good mood that day.

Alec huffed quietly into his drink. It was that or Magnus demanded ridiculous prices or even worse, favors.

It made Alec’s stomach heat pleasantly at the thought of being a favor to Magnus. Alec groaned. By the angel, why could he not stop thinking like this?

“Big brother, we came out so you could keep your mind off the warlock,” Izzy raised her glass in his direction. “It wasn’t so you could throw yourself a pity party and then continue to think about him.”

Jace laughed openly at Alec’s misery. Of course Izzy had spilled the whole situation to him the second she was done laughing at Alec’s astonishment. Not that it really mattered. Alec couldn’t keep much from his parabatai.

“Why can’t you just talk to the guy?” Jace asked, taking another shot. He didn’t even wince this time, used to the bitter taste.

“You know what Mom and Dad would say if I brought a warlock home.” Alec flushed, staring again into his drink.

Jace had known he was gay for a while now. After the awkward crush Alec had on Jace came out into the open, Jace had told him he didn’t return his feelings. Not only that, but he was also straight. Jace had hugged Alec for what felt like ages until Alec’s panicked breaths had stopped.

Even though it had stung slightly that Jace would never return his feelings, it felt even better knowing that his best friend wasn’t put off by his preference for men.

“Then there’s the fact,” Alec added, finally taking a sip of his drink. His face twisted slightly at the unpleasant flavor. Izzy knew better than to order him something strong. “Mom and Dad don’t know I’m gay and plus, he’s a downworlder. They would flip out.”

Izzy rolled her eyes. “Well you can’t always live life the way Mom and Dad want it. You have to do something for yourself.” Amusement entered her expression. “Besides, he could be the one.”

Alec choked slightly on his next sip. “Hell no.” That was putting it lightly.

“Alec,” Izzy leaned towards him. The bar was fairly quiet and there weren’t many people. Still, you never knew who could be eavesdropping. “You never feel this strongly about someone. He could be your soulmate.” Jace raised his eyebrows, looking towards Alec in interest.

Alec scowled at her. “Don’t say that word.”

“What word, ‘Soulmates’?” Izzy questioned.

“Yes that. Stop saying that.”

“Why?”

“Because,” Alec snapped, “it's bullshit and I want nothing to do with it.”

Jace stared at him in shock. Izzy’s lips were parted, words of protest frozen on her mouth. Alec sighed. He knew it wasn’t common to not want a soulmate. It wasn’t even that. It just didn’t seem fair that everyone waited for the moment they might find their soulmate.

What if Alec’s soulmate never came? He could wait decades and not date. He could never get married and just wait for this person who may never show up. It didn’t sound like the life Alec wanted.

Then there was the fact that his soulmate could be a complete asshole. Alec didn’t want to spend the rest of his life with someone like that.

Alec exhaled slowly. “Look, what if I really do like this Magnus guy? Chances are I’ll never see him again, but say I did. Maybe it turns out I’m not his soulmate or at least I won’t find out for a few years if I am.”

“Most soulmates find out they’re soulmates within only a few months.” Izzy immediately broke in.

“Yeah, but that’s not always the case. Anyway, what if I break up with a really great guy just to see if I can find someone I may spend half my life waiting for.” Alec shrugged, ignoring the scrutinizing stares of the pair. “I’m just saying soulmates aren’t wrapped in bows. They don’t always come on time in a perfect package.”

Izzy and Jace remained quiet, looking unsure of how to argue him on that point. Jace suddenly grinned and stood up from the table. “I invited Clary here tonight, I hope you don’t mind.”

The tension of a moment disappeared, leaving behind only confusion. Who was Clary?

Jace walked over to a red head that was standing next to her friend. It took only a moment to recognize the girl from Pandemonium.

“Jace invited a mundane?” Alec hissed, looking to Izzy for an explanation. Izzy shook her head.

“You must have really been in the clouds today Alec. Clary’s mom is Jocelyn Fray. She is Valentine’s ex-wife.”

Alec nodded absent-mindedly. Valentine had almost separated himself from the Clave a long time ago until Luke Garroway and Jocelyn had talked him into coming back. Jocelyn had been so upset by his almost betrayal of the Clave that she had divorced him.

Valentine had gotten off with a minor warning and now he stayed in Idris under close watch. Jocelyn hadn’t been heard from until now apparently.

“So they found Jocelyn?”

“They found Jocelyn with an eighteen year old daughter. Apparently she hadn't told Clary she was a shadowhunter until yesterday, her eighteenth birthday.” Izzy seemed excited at the idea of having another girl around. Alec was only surprised.

That probably didn't make the Clave very happy.

Jace walked back over, Clary and her friend in tow. “Alec and Izzy, this is Clary and her friend Simon.” 

Alec’s eyes moved over Simon. How much did he know?

“Simon knows about me, and shadowhunters.” Clary explained, looking wary about telling them that. Alec just sighed. He didn’t have the energy to explain the rules of the shadowhunters.

“Alright, I think I’m going to go get some more drinks.” Alec stood, looking pointedly at Jace and Izzy. “You guys want refills?” They nodded and he glanced at Clary and Simon.  
“We’ll just have some diet cokes.” Simon spoke for both of them, making Alec raise his eyebrows. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about drunken teenagers.

Alec walked over to the bar, enjoying the silence for a moment. This bar was their favorite in Brooklyn. It was nestled in a pretty discrete area and so it usually wasn’t too packed. Alec knew all the employees and since he was a regular, he got all his drinks discounted.

“Hey Matt, can I get two more drinks for Jace and Izzy? I also need two diet cokes while you’re at it.” Alec sat down on a barstool, taking his wallet out.

Matt had found his soulmate a few years ago. His soulmark proudly displayed: _Babe, its twins._ It was actually one of the best soulmarks Alec had ever seen. His wife had gone into labor a couple of months ago with two healthy baby boys.

“Whatever drink he’s getting will be on me.”

Alec’s head snapped up and he turned to see who had spoken. He was unable to mask his surprise when he saw Magnus.

“Uh--” Alec’s words were caught in his throat. The warlock was even more beautiful from up close. His eyes were glamoured so instead of cat’s eyes there was only chocolate brown irises staring back at him. Magnus’s eyelids were painted gold and the black liner on his eyes only served to make them pop out. “You—you don’t have to do that.”

Magnus only hummed, taking a seat at the barstool next to Alec. “I don’t have to, I want to. I saw you earlier watching me in Pandemonium.” He turned in the seat, leg crossing daintily over the other.

Alec opened his mouth to reply but no words would come out. He was usually a silent guy but words had never escaped him as they did right now. He swallowed hard then finally raised his eyes to meet Magnus’s. “I was but I noticed you didn’t seem to mind.”

Magnus smiled again, looking pleased at the comment. “Of course I didn’t. Why would I mind someone as gorgeous as you staring at me in my club?”

Alec’s cheeks heated in a blush. The warlock definitely wasn’t holding himself back.

“You should wear blush on your cheeks more often. It looks marvelous on you.” Magnus eyed him, sounding delighted.

“What business does the high warlock of Brooklyn have here?” Alec questioned, face finally set in a neutral tone. He wouldn’t be flustered if he just kept it business like.

Magnus seemed only amused, eyes glowing gold for a moment. “I found you interesting. I wanted to know more about you. It seems you know quite a bit about me.”

“It wasn’t hard to figure out.” Alec accepted the drinks the bartender gave him, looking back at Magnus.

“I suppose.” Magnus hummed, and then leaned forward, snapping his fingers over Alec’s drink. He came closer and Alec felt his lips part. He could feel Magnus’s breathe against his skin.

It made him recall his dream and now suddenly all he could think about was going down on his knees and mouthing at the head of the Warlock’s cock.

“What did you do to my drink?” Alec frowned, snapping himself out of it. What was wrong with him?

“I made it more suited for your tastes.” Magnus wiggled his fingers playfully. “Magic doesn’t always have to be so serious. As long as I’m not hurting anyone, I use it to make things a little more—pleasurable.”

Alec couldn’t help but laugh. “You really don’t hold back do you?” He had never met anyone who was this flirty, except maybe Izzy. Magnus just seemed so comfortable and fluid in his own body. It made Alec want to reach over and just touch him.

“Not when I see something I want.”'

Alec took a sip from his drink, wincing slightly. It was strong, but it did leave a nice aftertaste.

“Well I need to go deliver some drinks so--”

“You have to go rejoin the party.” Magnus stood, smoothing out his shirt. “It was a pleasure to meet you--?”

“Oh, I’m Alec, Alec Lightwood.” Alec felt ridiculous after saying it. That was not how he meant it to sound.

Magnus only smiled, eyebrow raised. “Well Alexander, would you perhaps like to go out for a drink soon?”

Alec thought about it, and then nodded. “Sure, maybe next time.”

Then he walked back over to the table, giving Jace and Izzy their drinks. After that, he set down the diet cokes for Clary and Simon. The bar was quieter now and when Alec peered up, Magnus was gone.

“What was that?” Izzy looked positively gleeful, gesturing to the bar stool Alec and Magnus had just occupied.

“Magnus,” Alec paused, hesitant. The whole table was staring at him. “Magnus saw me at the club and was interested in having a drink with me.”

“So did you say yes?” Jace, who had been talking quietly with Clary, was now watching him with an interested expression.

“I said maybe next time. I’m still wondering why the hell a warlock would want drinks with me. Not to mention there’s so much work at the institute that needs to be done.” Alec was making up excuses now. Izzy saw right through it, shaking her head.

“Trust me, whenever he wants to meet up for drinks, you’ll be there.”

Alec sighed but found no point in arguing. He rubbed his chest, making a soft noise of irritation. His soulmark felt like it was burning against his chest. It made him wonder what kind of soulmark Magnus had. He pushed that train of thought away quickly.

Alec only hoped he wasn’t getting himself into a huge mess with this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come hang out with me on [Tumblr](http://waralec.tumblr.com/) where I post Soulmates Aren't Wrapped in Bows updates and Shadowhunters content! As always comment, kudo and bookmark this fic, thanks!


	4. On the Balcony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks once again to my beta [thetalesofofandromeda](http://thetalesofandromeda.tumblr.com/). Enjoy the chapter!

Music beat harshly in his chest, and bodies moved around him in practiced movement. Drinks spilled over the rims of their glasses and the air felt warm and humid. The lights were dark violets against the walls and they made shadows fall over everyone’s features.

Alec felt uncomfortable in his tight jeans and black shirt. Thankfully the soulmark on his chest was covered up.

It was once again Izzy who insisted they come to Pandemonium after a long day of training. It had been Clary’s first day and Alec had to admit, she had worked hard enough to earn a drink.

Still, it didn’t mean he wanted to be sitting at a bar, hunched over a drink he didn’t even like.

“Hey Alec,” Clary sat herself in the barstool next to him, turning her whole body to face him.

Clary was a very social person and she constantly tried to engage with everyone in conversation. As much as Alec didn’t want to like it, he begrudgingly did.

“Hi Clary,” Alec eyed Jace who was watching them from a distance. “Why aren’t you dancing?”

Earlier in the night, Jace and Clary had been laughing and twirling each other jokingly around the dance floor.

“I was thirsty, wanted to get a drink.” Clary smiled at him. “So Magnus isn’t here?” She picked up her glass of water from earlier, taking a quick sip.

Alec groaned internally. Of course Jace had informed her of the situation. “No, I guess not but it’s fine. I wasn’t looking for him.” That was a lie.

His eyes had been searching for the warlock all night. Alec hadn’t heard from Magnus since they ran into each other at the bar about a week ago.

Clary’s lips curved up and she stood, dragging Alec’s hand with her. “Come on, you should try to have fun. Izzy is talking to Simon, but I can tell she is worried you aren’t having a good time.”

Glancing over at the couches, Alec saw that Izzy was peering at them, eyebrows crinkled slightly, before she turned back to her conversation with Simon. They were sitting very close, their faces only an inch apart, and they couldn’t seem to stop smiling.

It made Alec wonder—no, Simon was a mundane, he wasn’t Izzy’s soulmate.

“I’m not having fun.” Alec sighed.

Clary hit his shoulder. “Well you can pretend you are. If you aren’t going to dance, don’t sit at the bar and stare into your drink like it has offended you.”

A laugh spilled from Alec’s lips before he could stop it. “Go back and dance with Jace. I don’t like the heat, it’s uncomfortable. I’ll go outside for a bit then come in and dance.”

Clary raised an eyebrow warily.

“I promise.”

Clary finally walked back over to where Jace was standing, but not before she shot a look back at Alec. One that said he better keep his promise. He rolled his eyes, but nodded. It was like having two Izzy’s.

Squeezing between bodies was difficult but soon Alec made his way over to the balcony. The air washed over him and he exhaled in relief. It was much quieter outside. The music from the club could still be heard but it wasn’t beating against his ribs like before.

Alec reached up and touched the tender area where his soulmark was. It had been feeling strange for a while. It hadn’t felt this odd since he was around five years old. He was just as confused about why it felt strange now, as he was back then.

“Alexander.”

Alec jerked slightly and looked up in surprise. Magnus was leaning against the door of the balcony. He looked a little different since the last time Alec had seen him.

There was a pink streak in his hair and purple liner on his eyes this time. He was wearing a black shirt that bared his shoulders and looser black pants.

The glitter that ran along his arms shimmered slightly and by the angel, Alec wanted to run his mouth along the curve of his bicep. He looked perfect.

“Magnus,” Alec dipped his head slightly. “I expected to see you around earlier.”

The warlock strode over to where Alec was. He stayed a few feet away but his eyes locking with Alec’s made it feel like he was much closer. “I had a few things to do. Despite what you may have heard, I do not spend all my free time partying.” He smiled, looking up from under his lashes at Alec.

“Well you’re here now.” Alec turned back to the balcony, arms slung over the side. He leaned against it and watched his breath come out in clouds. It really was much colder out here than inside the club.

“Yes I am.” Magnus agreed, taking the same position as Alec.

They both stayed quiet for a few minutes, enjoying each other’s company. The music was softer from inside and the view from the balcony was beautiful.

“How old are you Magnus?” The question came from him suddenly.

“You should never ask a man’s age.” Magnus chided softly, though his tone was full of amusement. “Let’s just say I was around when Michelangelo was in his prime. He was wonderful in bed by the way.” Magnus winked at him and Alec chuckled.

“Tell me about yourself Alexander.” The warlock trailed his fingers along the railing and it distracted Alec for a moment.

“What about me?” Alec breathed. “You’ve met a lot of people in your lifetime; I doubt I’m much more interesting.”

“I disagree. I happen to find you very interesting. So tell me about you.” Magnus gave Alec his full attention. Alec swallowed hard, feeling shy under the intensity of his eyes.

“There isn’t a whole lot to tell. Shadowhunting has been the biggest of my life. I think I started training when I was five and even before that, my mom would read me books on runes and weapons. I have always been kind of the rule follower. Izzy, my younger sister, was more like the trouble-maker.” Alec fell quiet for a moment, but continued when Magnus didn’t say anything.

“I like running in the mornings, even though I technically don’t have too. It helps to keep my mind quiet and works out my frustration.” Alec smiled for a moment. “My favorite food is chili and I like the color purple. I’m gay and only my parents don’t know it.”

Alec stopped for a moment and then shook his head, frowning. “No, actually that’s not true. I’m sure they have some idea but they like to pretend I’m not. I think they just want my soulmate to be some nice young girl. Who knows if I’ll even ever meet my soulmate?”

Magnus touched Alec’s hand, giving it a soft squeeze. “See? You are very interesting. I know many who have been happy without their soulmates, but I do like the concept. Imagine meeting the person who is your perfect puzzle piece.”

“That would be nice.” Alec admitted softly. “Now tell me about you. I spewed a ton of words at you, now it’s your turn.”

Magnus laughed, and then smirked. “My favorite color is a soft pink but I also do like navy blues. I like to eat pasta but I must admit, I have a weakness in Italian cuisine generally. I’ll have to take you to a real Italian restaurant sometime.”

Alec listened closely. Those were little facts about the warlock, but that didn’t make them any less interesting. It really was just like a date. He had never been able to have one before, since he was usually busy and wasn’t exactly out.

Alec opened his mouth to speak when he suddenly heard a crash down below in the alley. “What was that?”

Magnus looked confused. “I’m not sure.”

Peering over the edge of the balcony, Alec tried to search for what was the cause of the noise. “I’m going to go see what it is.” Alec jogged back towards the door, ignoring Magnus’s soft ‘Alexander’. He wasn’t worried though because Magnus was following him.

He walked quickly through the club, heading immediately for the alley that had been under the balcony.

“What are you looking for? People come here all the time for well—you know.” Magnus murmured suggestively, touching Alec’s arm. He was obviously worried. “It might be nothing.”

“Or it could be something.” Alec whispered softly. Thankfully his seraph blade was with him. It wasn’t his bow but it would do. “I just want to che--” Alec tripped over something on the ground.

When he twisted back around to see what it was, he cursed. “Fuck.” A body. It was a downworlder too.

Magnus pressed his fingers into their pulse, shaking his head. “They’re dead.”

“It must have just happened, the body is still warm.”

“Go get the others. They must still be at the dance-floor.” The young shadowhunter said in a serious voice, and Magnus complied, running back inside. In the meantime, Alec stood up and started going down the alley way, looking for something that could help find the murderer.

Suddenly, a figure jumped up and shoved Alec to the side, making him stumble for a moment.

It was only a matter of seconds before he was sprinting after them. They were moving too fast to be mundane which meant this was shadowhunter business. The figure snarled then turned back to face him.

Alec was prepared and ducked when a knife flew at his head. He tried to swipe at the middle of their torso but the figure was quickly gone again. It was as if they had melted into the shadows of the alley.

Alec could hear his breath, and his heartbeat echoed in his ears. It made him later wonder why he didn’t hear it when the figure was behind him and cut him with a knife right in the center of his back.

At the time, the only thing he could do was let out a gasp of pain and try not to scream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come hang out with me on [Tumblr](http://waralec.tumblr.com/)


	5. Heat of Healing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks once again to my beta [thetalesofofandromeda](http://thetalesofandromeda.tumblr.com/) who helped me with a bit of writing and bounced ideas with me! Comment, kudo or bookmark this fic to let me know what you think and enjoy!

Silence. Where did the sound go? Alec made a soft, choked noise or at least, he thought he did. Knees shaking. Blood rushing. Lips parted in a scream. He had experienced many injuries in the past, but never anything like this.

Everything came rushing back at once. Alec exhaled harshly and fell to his knees. Hands were scrambling to cover his back desperately. It was an odd feeling when your own blood dripped down your wrists. It was also an odd feeling to know he was quickly passing the point of salvation.

The figure hesitated from where they stood in the shadows before coming forward to kick at his body. The foot landed neatly between his ribs and, grunting in pain, Alec finally collapsed to the ground.

His fingers dug into the dirty pavement below him. Sensation was leaving his hands but at the same time, everything had never felt so raw and pure.

He could feel how wet and rough the concrete was. His fingers spread across it. It was warm, everything was so warm.

It was probably not the time, but Alec’s mind zeroed in on a memory. He doesn’t think about it too often but when he was in his teens there was a clave meeting. There had been a young boy, not much younger than him, who had caught his eye. His name was Poe.

Poe had blonde hair that looked lank on his head. His skin was pale, so much so, that Alec could spot his veins through his arms. He had almost winced when he saw Poe’s joints poking out from underneath his skin. If it wasn’t for the runes on his body, Alec wouldn’t have thought he was a shadowhunter. He just looked so, so fragile.

However, none of this was what made Alec remember Poe.

The shadowhunter had had a smile so wide that it even made his mother, Maryse, feel the itch to smile back. He constantly looked happy and Alec had been instantly drawn to him.

He hung around Poe at that meeting and then every single meeting they attended after that. It was during one of his last ones that he spotted the shadowhunter’s soulmark.

_Poe, you’re going to die before you’re sixteen. There isn’t anything more we can do._

It was wrapped around Poe’s neck like a noose. Alec couldn’t understand how someone could be so happy when they knew they were going to die like that. Poe had died maybe a year after that Clave meeting. Alec could barely bring himself to look at the boy's grave.

Pain was rushing through his body again. His hands were balled in tight fists and he was positive his lip would soon start to bleed from where it was caught between his teeth, just to keep any other sound from slipping out.

By the angel, he was going to die.

“Alexander!” Someone knelt next to him, panting softly. Alec only had to look up and see the gold glitter on his arms to know who it was.

“Magnus--” Alec gasped. It was so hard to breathe.

Magnus cursed under his breath, hands moving to Alec’s back. When they came back into view, Alec could see they were bathed in red. The color looked wrong on the warlock. In his opinion, blue suited him best.

“I can heal this. It will only take a few minutes darling, so just hold on okay?” Magnus smiled at him, though he was obviously far from being calm. His body trembled noticeably and he was fussing over where he should start the healing process.

Soon after, the warlock’s fingers were at his back again. At first, all the shadowhunter felt was pain, and then suddenly, a cool sensation spread across his back. Alec moaned softly from the abrupt lack of discomfort. His body arched into the touch because it felt so, so relieving.

Alec flushed slightly, his blood returning to its usual state, flowing throughout his body. The coolness of Magnus’s touch rapidly became heat.

It was too much feeling every time the warlock dragged his fingers across his back. Alec winced whenever it became too strong a sensation for him to remain entirely relaxed. His muscles tensed and untensed at an abnormal pace under the warlock's fiery touch.

“Alexander, I need you to stay still. I know it feels—intense, but you aren’t fully healed. It will be only a few moments more.” Magnus’s cheeks were pink and his lips were parted. He was staring intently at Alec’s wounded area, feeling his energy flow out of him and into the shadowhunter in order to perform the healing spell.

“Feels good.” Alec hissed, writhing around.

“I know. It is supposed to.” The warlock trailed his fingers down Alec’s spine. It made the shadowhunter shudder causing Magnus’s thoughts to stray into a more sensual place. 

Only seconds later, he snapped himself back and away from those perverted ideas that had no place in his concerned mind right now.

Alec buried his face into his arm, biting at the skin so he wouldn’t make a lot of noise. Most of the pain was gone by now and he felt as if he was going to melt into the ground from relaxing too much. 

As soon as the knife slash was gone though, Magnus had to stop in order to keep himself from being drained of his energy. Alec whimpered softly, suddenly feeling way too exhausted.

“Alexander? How do you feel?” Magnus gently rolled him onto his back, eyes scanning his face in worry.

Alec just nodded and huffed. His face grew rosy when he sat up a little, more blood flowing back to his head. Magnus followed his gaze and his eyes became heavy-lidded. 

The warlock must have been sensing his own fatigue. Magnus seemed happy to see that Alec appeared okay. He must have looked like he hadn’t slept in days but the shadowhunter definitely felt fine now.

“What are you doing?” Alec asked when he noticed that Magnus was standing and grabbing a jacket from where he must have thrown it when he spotted Alec. The warlock smirked discreetly at the thought that the boy had his eyes on him.

“I’m going to help you cover up. We need to get you back to the institute. Isabelle, Jace and the others investigated a bit while I helped you here. I didn’t realize you would be injured.” Magnus reached down and picked Alec up with an ease that startled him. He shouldn’t have judged the man’s height so easily.

“The murderer,” Alec sank back into Magnus’s body, head falling onto the warlock’s shoulder. “They ran away. I think they were a downworlder of some kind. They were fast. Too fast.”

“That’s strange.” Magnus murmured. “I’ll talk to my people about it. For now though, you need to rest. Luckily your healing didn’t take much out of me but you’ll need to replenish your strength.”

Alec nodded in agreement, “Yeah. I will once we get back to the Institute.”

Magnus waved his hand in front of them, opening up a portal.

Everything after that was mostly a haze. At one point, Alec may have fallen asleep on Magnus’s shoulder. He just smelled so good and was surprisingly comfortable to lie on. Alec also vaguely recalls being efficiently stripped of his clothes with a snap of Magnus’s fingers. Another snap and he was wearing briefs and sweatpants. He also remembers laughing when he noticed Magnus had turned his head away to give him a sense of privacy. It was actually very sweet of him.

“Take care of yourself Alexander. I don’t want or need to see you hurt like that again.” Magnus whispered in his ear before tucking him into bed. 

Alec felt the jacket from before come snuggly across his shoulders. Magnus left soon after. It didn’t take long for the shadowhunter that was a step away from death only about an hour ago to fall asleep.

\-----

Alec woke up the next morning, the complete lack of pain catching him by surprise. After a pretty long while of snuggling his covers, he decided to finally get out of bed and go to his small bathroom and stand in front of his mirror in order to examine the wound.

He lifted his shirt up to look at the area where there would normally be a huge scar at least and was dumbfounded to lay eyes on what appeared to be an untouched and lean part of his skin. It was as if he had never been injured in the first place.

“Huh.” Alec prodded at the part of his back where he remembered feeling the extreme pain from the stab last night, but it was all healed. It didn't even hurt when he pressed on it.

Suddenly, his door opened and Izzy peeked around the corner, looking relieved. “Alec!” She ran over and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him.

“You had me worried sick! That was supposed to be a fun night, not a night where you would run off and get yourself killed.” Izzy tried to look stern but failed entirely.

“I’m okay, Magnus healed me.” Alec was quick to assure her.

He regretted it a little when he saw Izzy’s concern morph into a smirk on her face. “Oh, he healed you very well. He carried you into the institute. He didn’t let anyone bother you, and promised to take care of everything himself. He even left you his jacket.”

Alec glimpsed at the jacket which was sprawled over where he had been sleeping. So that's why he enjoyed snuggling his covers so much earlier. Magnus' scent was creeping on his bed.

“But seriously Alec,” Izzy smiled, “He was so worried when he came into the club. I’ve never seen him so tongue-tied. Magnus was scared shitless. He had a reason to be, but the point is he cared enough to fret over you.”

The brother just nodded in agreement. They had only known each other a week or so and Magnus had been extremely concerned. Alec shook his head. 

“This thing between him and I isn’t really a priority now. I need to know about the body. Random murders don’t just happen like that between the downworlders.”

Izzy nodded, chin tilting up. “About that, we know who it is and we may have discovered what their motive could be.”

“Well what is it then?” Alec asked curiously, a bit sad that he was left out of all the research. 

“It might be better if Jace and I tell you downstairs. It was pretty gruesome.” Izzy mumbled the last part, but Alec heard it clearly. 

She just looked down at her shoes for a second, the sight of her sparkly silver stiletos putting a small smile on her face again. Alec held back a laugh as she tried to shake it all off and get a more serious look on her face before exiting his room, not feeling the need to speak another word. 

As soon as Isabelle started heading out, Alec had already started getting his gear on, leather jacket and all. It didn't even take him five minutes to rush downstairs, the curiosity plaguing his mind. He found himself between his siblings and the rest of the people of the Institute he was familiar with. 

Jace gave him a bright smile, patting his back a bit more carefully than usual, in fear of hurting him because of what happened last night. Alec made sure to give a hard pat back at his parabatai, before clearing his throat and leaning over the table that was filled with notes and photos, obviously leads for their new case. 

His voice had its usual morning roughness, which honestly comforted everyone in the room, as it was a sign that it was the same Alec, back on his feet and healthy as he could get. He couldn't hide a small smile taking place on his face as he looked at Izzy and then Jace.

“So, what did I miss?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come hang out with me on [Tumblr](http://waralec.tumblr.com/)


	6. Investigation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This update took forever and I apologize for that. I'm going to try to keep updates more consistent. Thanks once again to my beta [thetalesofofandromeda](http://thetalesofandromeda.tumblr.com/). Enjoy the chapter!

“So we found out a bit about the victim while you were—recovering.” Izzy started off lightly. Her manicured nails pressed carefully on a photograph as she slid it across the table.

The name of the victim was written messily at the bottom of the photo. Quinn Umbell. His torso was ripped to shreds, skin barely clinging to the body. The only thing that hadn’t been marred was the soulmark which was printed in neat letters around the belly button.

_Now you have to be the most handsome man I’ve met in a while._

There was a trail, in blood, around the soulmark. The murderer must have dragged their fingertip teasingly through the wound, then around it. Was the soulmark a motive? An ex maybe?

“We can’t find any motives on why someone would want this man dead. He’s one of the seelies and according to his soulmate he had a very gentle personality. They both helped around the mundane community together, cleaning up trash, working in the soup kitchen and anything else you can think of.” Izzy shook her head sadly. “Quinn’s soulmate said he had never had any past relationships.”

Alec pressed his lips tightly together. “Can I speak to his soulmate?” The group looked at one another until Jace shrugged.

“It can’t hurt. We contacted her once we identified the victim. She was pretty quiet when we told her but she answered any questions we had. Magnus actually helped us quite a bit with that part.” Jace said as he led Alec to another room where a woman sat, hands clasped neatly across her lap.

The woman remained still even when they entered the room. Her muscles were tense and her knuckles had gone white because of how tightly she held onto her knee. It was the pain that was in her eyes that caused Alec to pause for a moment.

“Her name is Wendy.” Jace murmured quietly, before squeezing Alec’s shoulder and leaving the room.

Alec took a chair from a corner and sat down across from her. “Hello Wendy, my name is Alec. I have just a couple more questions for you.”

Wendy glanced upward, eyes rimmed red. “I already answered your questions, what else could you possibly have to ask?”

“We’re trying to figure out the motive for your soulmate’s murder so I was hoping to ask you more about the nature of your relationship.” Alec tried to smile at her. She scowled.

“I didn’t murder him if that’s what you’re trying to say.” Her eyes watered at the thought and she clutched at her legs tightly.

“Of course not, no! Oh angel, I’m terrible at this.” Alec’s brow furrowed and Wendy still wasn’t smiling, but at least she appeared to be somewhat amused.

“Yes you are. Go ahead, ask your questions. I want to know who murdered Quinn so I can rip the bitch’s throat out.” Wendy’s canines glinted menacingly and Alec had no doubt the woman was a fearsome werewolf.

The young shadowhunter coughed into his fist. “How did you meet your soulmate?” Wendy blinked at the nature of the question but didn’t hesitate to answer.

“I met him during his chest reconstruction--”

“Chest reconstruction?”

“Yes, Quinn is transgender, or...was...and I was the one to perform his reconstruction. I’m a plastic surgeon, odd profession for a werewolf, I know, but I was interested in it.” Wendy shrugged. “He said my words before I said his.” Wendy tugged down her sleeve. Her words were written down her forearm.

_So you’re the surgeon who I have to be thankful for._

A tear slipped down Wendy’s cheek but she hastily brushed it away. “He had saved up so much money for this surgery. It was hard for him growing up, and I was glad to be a part of some ounce of happiness for him.”

“Did he have people who discriminated against him? Maybe this was a hate crime.” Alec suggested softly.

Wendy shook her head. “No, I mean don’t get me wrong, people were rude to him even after he grew up, but nobody would have killed him. He was the kindest soul I ever met and I thought that even before I realized he was my soulmate. We were so happy together.” Her hands paused on her knees from their fiddling.

“I’m sorry Wendy.”

Alec still had no clue why the murder had occurred. The downworlders didn’t really discriminate against things like peoples' gender or sexuality. Usually their species were the problem.

Wendy was quiet a moment before she looked up from where she had been starring at the floor. “Do you have a soulmate Alec?”

Alec looked at her, taken by surprise by the question. “I have my mark, but no I haven’t met them yet.”

Her eyes hardened slightly. “I hope you never do.”

“What?”

“I hope you never do. I loved Quinn with all of my heart. We wanted to start a family. He shouldn’t have been murdered. You have no clue how much it hurts. Don't you get it? A piece of me has died. It’s gone, forever.” Wendy stood up, walking towards the door.

“You don’t mean that.” Alec breathed.

“Yes I do. Please do not contact me again. I need time.” Then she was gone. Alec sat there for a moment, hand reaching up to touch his collarbone. His words seemed to burn into his chest and it hurt for a moment.

“Are you still experiencing pain from last night?”

Alec jumped slightly causing the chair to skid across the floor. It made a screeching sound that filled up the silence in the room and made him flinch.

"Magnus!" The name fell from his mouth quickly, and he flushed slightly in embarrassment.

The warlock smirked at the other's obvious surprise, and then held up his hands innocently. Magnus’s eyes were lined with navy eyeshadow and his lashes brushed against his skin in a seemingly harmless way. Yet his lips curled in a way that felt devious and secretive.

"I didn't mean to surprise you. Isabelle told me that you were in here questioning the witness. I wanted to check on how it was going." Magnus glanced behind him, frowning. "Obviously not as well as you might have hoped."

Alec shrugged, heart still pounding furiously against his chest. "I didn't get that much out of her. I asked more about the nature of their relationship."

Magnus raised an eyebrow and walked a little closer, crouching in front of Alec. "And?"

"Not much” he murmured. “Downworlders don't really do hate crimes. Except from when two species don't get along." Alec rubbed the bridge of his nose, sighing in frustration.

"Do you--remember anything from last night? Who attacked you?" Magnus stood, walking around Alec so he was facing the Shadowhunter's back.

"Nothing. Just that they were fast. Very fast. But that could easily be anyone not mundane. It just happened so quickly." Alec shuddered, arms wrapping around his stomach. The air seemed stiff, cold and bleak. They were getting nowhere with this investigation.

Magnus laid his fingers gently on Alec's back. Then his hands began to knead his sore muscles. The younger man could feel himself melting into the back of the chair.

"We'll figure something out. In the meantime you need to relax and think of yourself for a while. Everyone is working hard to figure out why this happened, but it is hard when there weren’t any witnesses or motives.”

Magnus hummed softly, hands turning a soft blue.

Alec groaned and arched his back slightly. It reminded him of Magnus healing him last night. “I—ah—forgot to thank you last night, for, you know, healing me.”

“You don’t need to thank me, but regardless, you are welcome. You worried me Alexander.” Magnus ceased his massage, turning the chair so Alec faced him. “Things were going so well between us before you were, well, stabbed.”

Alec’s shoulders shook, light laughter spilling from him. “It has been rough hasn’t it? The job of a shadowhunter never really stops.”

“Yeah. I imagine it never really does.” Magnus’s eyes softened and he leaned towards Alec, hand resting on the arm of the chair. “Do you want to get a drink? I’m sure I could take your mind off of Shadowhunting for a little while.”

Alec took his own bottom lip between his teeth and released it after a few seconds. “Is this you asking me out?” Magnus grinned.

“If you can’t tell, I’m obviously not doing a very good job.”

“I’m in the middle of a murder investigation, I don’t know if this is really the time.” Nerves lit up his body and Alec could feel the tension rolling through his every vein.

“Playing hard to get then?” Magnus touched his bare skin, finger tracing the line of one of his runes.

“Magnus,” Alec peered upward trembling when he saw that the warlock’s pupils were blown and hungry looking. Magnus definitely wasn’t holding back. “I—,”

Alec heard someone running down the hallway and stood up, putting a couple feet between him and Magnus. He exhaled in relief when Izzy ran through the door, and was vaguely scared by how entranced he was by the warlock moments ago. So much, that he didn't notice the loud sound of his sister's high heels sooner. If she had seen them in that position she would have never stopped talking about it.

“What’s wrong Isabelle?” Magnus questioned, his earlier predatory look surprisingly gone.

“We found something on the body, a clue maybe. We didn’t see it in the earlier investigation because it was at the base of the neck.” Izzy panted out, motioning them out the door.

Magnus and Alec exchanged a glance before they followed her back to the body. It was rolled over and the hair was shaved off. Alec didn’t know what could possibly be there. A message? A mark? He didn’t know.

“Look, it’s right there. It isn’t very big so you really have to lean in.” Izzy whispered.

Alec touched Quinn’s neck, trying to ignore the coldness of the body.

There was a letter scratched into the skin.

A small cursive M.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come hang out with me on [Tumblr](http://waralec.tumblr.com/)


End file.
